This is how many hours per year your commute is costing you

Alex Watson

New research has determined that UK motorists spend more than one day each year stuck in rush hour traffic.

The report (compiled by analytics company, INRIX) states that drivers in London lost an average of 74 hours while commuting in bad traffic during 2017.

This is an hour more than the previous year, and adds up to more than three days spent stuck behind the wheel over the course of the year.

In Manchester, the average time spent in rush hour traffic was 39 hours per year, while in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, drivers lost 28 hours.

According to the report, Newport motorists spent 24 hours per year in traffic jams (the highest number in Wales), and Belfast topped Northern Ireland’s list for a bad commute, with 21 hours a year written off to congestion.

The 10 most congested routes in the UK at peak times and annual hours lost per driver

‘A car is a necessity’ While leaving the car at home would free drivers from the daily grind of commuting by car, public transport simply isn’t an option for many.

“Nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) of motorists we spoke to for the annual Report on Motoring told us that they would find it very difficult to adjust their lifestyle without a car,” said RAC spokesman, R

od Dennis, commenting on the INRIX report findings. “Sixty-three per cent said that they would use their car less if public transport was better.

“This highlights the uncomfortable truth in the UK – that with few viable transport alternatives outside major cities, having access to a car is simply a necessity for millions of people.”

According to Dennis, the government need to focus on providing “cheap, practical reliable alternatives to the car – especially in urban areas”. Optimising existing roads and encouraging car sharing is a way to improve commuter drive times in the immediate future, says the RAC.